


War Shock

by SalmonCenter



Series: Jasper and Alice [3]
Category: Twilight Series - Stephenie Meyer
Genre: Empath, Empath Jasper Hale, F/M, Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder - PTSD, Pre-Series, Psychic Abilities, Vampires
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-09-01
Updated: 2020-09-07
Packaged: 2021-03-06 22:08:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 6
Words: 4,313
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26246188
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SalmonCenter/pseuds/SalmonCenter
Summary: Somehow, Maria has wormed her way into Jasper’s head, whispering into his ear at the first smell of smoke toDo something for me, Jasper.  Just this once.  Just once more.
Relationships: Alice Cullen/Jasper Hale
Series: Jasper and Alice [3]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1883479
Comments: 17
Kudos: 56





	1. Alice Runs

They never light fires. Alice doesn’t know why. 

It’s not that she gets cold at all or that it’s hard to see at night. They’ve never cooked their meals and don’t need to smoke away mosquitos. Even the spiders leave them be, giving them a wide berth when they lay together in the forest. Everytime she thinks about asking, Jasper says no in the worst way. His face contorts with pain and he looks away from her, asking her in a quiet voice to _please_ leave it be. Shame and fear emanate from him in thick waves.

Whatever. Alice doesn’t even know how to make one. 

It’s more interesting how they seem to avoid fires. As far as Alice knows, humans love to set them, but they’ve not come across a single campfire in two months of hunting. She doesn’t bring it up (they have so many more important things to talk about! How old is Jasper? Who is Maria? What happens in the South? Can he still ride a horse? Will he teach her? What was the Civil War even about?) but the thought sticks with her, clinging to the back of her mind like a thorn on her tattered dress. It’s important, she realises one night, because Jasper is more or less an open book. Something about fire means a lot to him, and not in a good way. 

It goes against her promise of making him happy to dwell on it, but curiosity gets the better of her every time. 

The crackling sound stops Jasper in his tracks. They’re not hunting, not looking for something to eat, just exploring the forest. He spends a great deal of time teaching Alice the basics- The difference between birds and flies, how to braid vines together to make rope, the way that the ground softens near rivers- and she walks him through their future with the Cullens. She’s doing that now when he freezes.

“. . . and I’m pretty sure that Esme would make us mop up if our shoes are dirty, so we need to-” Alice yelps when Jasper pulls her back by the collar of her dress, ripping the seams and throwing her backwards. She’s afraid. Terrified. What’s going on? There’s no future ahead of her. Jasper isn’t thinking, so there are no decisions to see, just random movement. He’s tearing at her arms- no, pulling her up a tree- no! They’re running. Alice is running. Jasper is chasing her. 

So, they run. It’s a cat and mouse game, with Alice ducking under branches and twirling around boulders. Jasper is faster than she is, but only used to chasing newborns who stumble in straight lines. Alice dances through the forest gracefully, making her way up trees and down cliff sides until the terror is gone and Jasper is miles aways. 

They reunite in their tree. A red oak, Jasper has taught her, surrounded by pretty trees he calls Chinese Angelica. Brought across the sea by the Chinese to sell and flown around the country by birds. 

“They took over an entire field, once, in just a few years. I’ve never seen anything like it since,” Jasper murmurs as he ties the torn threads of her dress back together. Alice is wearing his shirt. It drapes past her knees untucked. “At least it made good firewood.”

“Why did you need firewood?” Alice asks even though she knows the answer. Jasper doesn’t look away from her dress. She doesn’t often push him for information, but now it seems like he’s offering. 

“Pyres are the only way to ensure the death of our kind.” His voice is uncharacteristically cold. Alice feels nothing from him. “Elimination is all that matters in war. Do you understand? You don’t wait to see if your enemy is going to get up. When they fall down, you keep them down.” He speaks to her like a Major addressing his Soldiers. He speaks to her like they’re in the South. 

They’re quiet after that, no words needed to understand the gravity of what has just happened. Alice has seen her death before, and the visions never continue on beyond it. It’s not a big leap to imagine her body in the fire, though, burning while Jasper howls. 

They never light fires and Alice knows why. Somehow, Maria has wormed her way into Jasper’s head, whispering into his ear at the first smell of smoke to _Do something for me, Jasper. Just this once. Just once more._ He is at her mercy then, and even Alice’s bright love can’t pull him out of her dark grasp. So, they avoid fires. They stay away from smoke. They don’t turn on stoves in motel rooms or light candles at night. And, when the unexpected happens, Alice runs.


	2. They Avoid

Their new house is huge. Probably the biggest building Alice has ever been in, and definitely the nicest. It has three floors. That’s right, three floors. Eight bedrooms. Every room has an attached bathroom with the fanciest bathtubs she’s ever used. Even Jasper is impressed by the constant availability of hot water, though he mentions it to no one. They spend the first night in the dining room with Carlisle and recount their history. Well, Alice recounts hers. Jasper says strategically silent.

“I ate a rabbit first, I think. Maybe a deer? It’s hard to keep track, especially when I first woke up. I ate something gross. Jasper called my name, and you used it too! Everyone was using it! Anyways, I’m sort of psychic. Omniscient.” She winks at Jasper. 

“Thank you for telling me, Alice.” Carlisle smiles, all trepidation gone. “Your gift is really quite remarkable. I can imagine that it was confusing, at first.” 

“Oh, it was! I couldn’t even see where I was going half the time! I mean, where I was walking. Or crawling. I knew that I was going to end up here at some point, and. . .” Alice’s eyes unfocus, sliding away from Carlisle and darting back and forth. Jasper grips her arm firmly, keeping her upright in case she tries to walk. 

“Is she having a vision?” Carlisle asks, concerned. He keeps his distance still, trying his best to respect Jasper’s space. 

“Yes,” Jasper answers quickly, “Don’t worry. They pass quickly.” And just like that, Alice is back. Carlisle’s shoulders relax. 

“I think we’re going out tomorrow night. To hunt.” It’s not a question. “Just the two of us, while Esme cooks. Have you ever heard of a barbeque?” Alice asks, having seemingly forgotten that their new Coven Leader is still in the room. “It’s this pit thing that’s on sticks. They put hot coals in it and cook all sorts of food. Just like a campfire!” 

Jasper nods. They will certainly be hunting tomorrow. 

If Edward knows, he’s polite enough not to say anything. Jasper and Alice keep their distance while Esme barbeques for a school fundraiser. They spend their time picking a new tree, ending up in a sturdy redwood together. It’s nice to get away for the evening. Jasper finally feels secure again, wrapped around Alice. 

“I love them.” Alice babbles, buttoning and unbuttoning Jasper’s shirt. “Even more than I thought I would. Edward is going to teach me how to play chess!” There’s nothing greater than Alice’s pure joy radiating between them. It’s the soft, comfortable joy that comes from being surrounded by family. “Don’t you like having a sister?” 

“Rosalie doesn’t trust me,” He shrugs, coaxing Alice’s hands away from a loose thread on his shirt and into his own. “But she doesn’t dislike me.”

“That wasn’t really an answer, you know.” Alice pokes his chest before letting him take her hands. “You guys kind of look alike.”

“Do we? You and Edward do, too.” Jasper points out. Then, he frowns. Edward. “Carlisle has put together a very powerful coven. I hadn’t realised that Edward’s gift would be so-”

“Invasive.” Alice finishes for him. Her eyes are glassy again. It no longer bothers him to see her blind to the present. She’s somewhat unaware of her surroundings during the more powerful visions but never trips, and Jasper has a funny feeling that Alice sees much more than she lets on. They’re not constant, Alice assures him, but Jasper wonders if she really knows her own thoughts from the future. Time is fluid for Alice. The past, present, and future have never been separate. To Alice, their relationship began when she first opened her eyes. Her family had always been waiting for a sister, a daughter, that they had never met. Even her words are fluid, lifted from conversations that she experiences before they happen. “The future is now, old man!”

“Is Edward rubbing off on you?” Jasper grins. “What did I say?” Or what will he say? What has Alice seen him say that now he hasn’t because she has?

“That I’m a time traveller! Something like that, at least. I bet Esme’s done now. Want to go back?”


	3. Jasper Confronts

“Jasper!” Alice cries out too late. The dry, arid wind has already made its way through his hair and into his head, sending him back to Monterrey in a matter of seconds. His vision swims in front of him, dissolving into a mountainous landscape. He blinks. The snow returns. Then, it’s a desert. Green brush becomes sharp agave. “Jasper?” 

Jasper whips his head around, trying to find the source of his name. It’s difficult to do with the world spinning in and out of focus. He’s on edge already. Where is the threat? Why are the newborns out of the barn? This isn’t a newborn. Is it? 

There’s a hand on his shoulder, gentle yet firm. 

“Peter?” Jasper reaches out blindly and a delicate hand takes his own. Someone is touching his face, too, suddenly, and Jasper grabs it without meaning to. He wrenches it down and tries to tear it from the socket it’s connected to. The hand on his shoulder pulls him back and he lets go, reaching back to try and pry the other hand off. “Stand down!” 

They do not. The newborns attack, a strong one holding his arms down and another keeping a firm hand on his chest. Jasper is on the ground now, fighting hard. He’s no match against the strength of the newborns around him, especially so blind, but that won’t stop him from going down without a fight. 

“Jasper, can you hear me?” One of the newborns calls out as he struggles. 

“¡Retirarse! María no tolerará esto. Estarás solo sin nosotros. Los Volturi te eliminarán!” Jasper shouts, emanating control and terror. The hands on him waver. That’s all he needs. It’s easy enough to twist under them and push himself up, kicking a leg out against the weaker one. There’s nowhere to run, though, as another one quickly pins him down on his stomach instead. 

“Stop it! You’re scaring Alice!” Rosalie's shrill voice is so unlike Maria’s. Her words tumble out in chaos. “What are you doing? Who are you fighting? It’s just us! Are you crazy?” Is he crazy? Is it crazy to want to live? Is it crazy to fight for existence? Is it crazy to hope for something better, to kill for a future you are certain exists?

“Let go,” Jasper mumbles into the snow, shifting awkwardly beneath Rosalie. Everyone else is silent, save for Alice’s quiet hiccuping. “Come on, Rose?” She glances up to Carlisle. He nods down at her and Rosalie stands up, offering him a hand. Before he can take it, Alice has tackled him, clinging to his front and burying her face in his neck. Jasper wraps his arms around her carefully, blinking. 

“Don’t ever do that again! I should have known I should have warned you earlier! I thought it was just fire and you’re so lucky that Rose stopped you because-” Alice hiccups again. 

They hike back to the cabin in silence, Jasper all but carrying Alice the way there. She’s his anchor for the rest of the day, keeping him firmly in the present and out of the South.


	4. Carlisle Educates

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, the book referenced in this chapter (War-Shock: The Psychoneuroses in War Psychology and Treatment, by M. D. Eder (1917) should not be bought. It is public domain. Email lenamendo8@gmail.com if you would like an accessible PDF.

It only takes a few days for Carlisle to call them all to the table for a meeting with Edward at his side. The rest of them crowd around at the opposite end, which always amuses Jasper. As much love as Esme and Carlisle have for each other, she will always be second to her husband's first love, and they are in love. It’s a funny, paternal sort of love that stretches past the boundaries of time and societal norms. They are father and son as well as a doctor and assistant, roommates, and research partners. Truth be told, their relationship isn’t particularly unique among the undead, but it is different from the relationships between the rest of the Cullen family. 

“Thank you all for making time to do this.” Carlisle begins, nodding. Jasper can only assume that he’s nodding to Edward, who promptly sets a book down on the table and slides it towards him. Alice picks it up first, of course.

“War Shock,” She drags her finger along the title. The book is small and thin, resembling a personal journal more than reading material. “The Puh- Psychoneuroses in War Psychology and Treatment.” Alice stutters for only a moment, and Jasper would bet money that Edward is helping her. It’s a dirty little trick they do for school work; Alice asks for help (silently) and Edward traces consonants on the table for her to see. The rest of them only caught on when Carlisle began tutoring Alice privately. They made a powerful couple. “It’s old.” She hands it over to Jasper. He flips the book over. 1917. 

“War Shock, or Shell Shock. Have you ever heard of it?” Carlise asks Jasper directly. “You may have heard it called by another name. Soldier’s Heart, perhaps. Or malingering?” 

“Soldier's Heart, yes.” Jasper vaguely remembers the term. It had something to do with palpitations in the men that marched the longest, that saw the most battle. His heart had always been strong and true. Illness never struck him. 

“It’s a complicated issue. Edward and I have seen the name of the condition evolve through the last few wars. It’s certainly a psychological condition that arises in soldiers, that much is known.” Carlisle sits down as soon as Edward does. The book is passed around and ends up with them again. “As you know, I’m not a psychologist. Surgeons are always needed in war hospitals.”

“I did some work with the mentally infirm, away from blood,” Edward doesn’t interrupt, but his words weave into Carlisle’s seamlessly. “It seemed to me that you had a hysterical event.”

“That’s not bad.” Alice whispers to him. 

“It’s treatable,” Edward adds. “But the difficult part will be-”

“-finding a psychiatrist. You can’t.” Alice actually interrupts. “There’s too much that Jasper doesn’t have. A pulse, for one. That’s big.” 

“Thank you, Alice, for pointing that out.” Carlisle smiles at her. “You’re right. We’re lucky in that the treatment is simply therapeutic suggestion. I would like you to read his book, Jasper.” Finally, the book is back in his hands. He hasn’t said much during the entire conversation, content with letting the more competent medical men of their family devise a form of treatment. “The more you understand this condition, the better you will be able to control it.”

“Because knowledge is power,” Alice nods solemnly. They all stare and she just shrugs, answering a question before it’s asked. “I heard it somewhere. C’mon, Jaz! Read to me?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> As always, the book referenced in this chapter (War-Shock: The Psychoneuroses in War Psychology and Treatment, by M. D. Eder (1917) should not be bought. It is public domain. Email lenamendo8@gmail.com if you would like an accessible PDF.

The book is informative if not a bit crude. Jasper edits slightly for Alice’s sake, still stuck in an era where men left bedroom discussions for the bedroom. If Alice even notices, it doesn’t bother her enough to speak up and insist that Jasper re-read a paragraph about psychoanalyzing nightmares. Perhaps she’s tuned out- this topic isn’t very pertinent to their situation.

“It speaks well for the patients, I think, that only three did not improve in their condition.” Jasper reads to no one in particular. Alice has her head in his lap and she’s staring off past the ceiling, hands outstretched in front of her like she’s swiping through invisible playing cards. It’s a position they often find themselves in together, working on separate projects that still seem connected somehow. They are an oddity in the world of the undead, Jasper knows, and even their family seems unsure of how to approach them when they are found in their funny pile. It makes them feel awkward, almost as awkward as when someone walks in on Emmett and Rosalie. 

Jasper pushes that thought out of his head, content instead to focus on the fuzzy feeling that overwhelms him when he and Alice share a bed. It’s much better than the hard ground of the wilderness. Safer, too, and safety isn’t something he’s used to. His hand finds its way to her head, fingers running through her unmanageable hair. 

“Do you think Maria knew this would happen to you?” Alice interrupts his reading, looking towards him. It bothers him to hear that name come from her mouth. “Maybe she did it on purpose.”

“Why would she do that?” Jasper sets down the book. Alice rarely speaks without reason, even if the reason is decades away. 

“I don’t know. She got in your head, you know? Now you can never be rid of her.” Alice sounds absentminded. She doesn’t seem to grasp the gravity of what she’s saying in the slightest. Never? Is this coming from an omniscient psychic or a distracted young woman? 

Jasper doesn’t answer because he doesn’t know, but the point still stands. Though they have never met, Alice seems to understand Maria as well as he does. It makes sense, of course, because she has always been watching him, even when he was with _her_. She knows how well Maria was able to manipulate him. Maria recognized his gift before he did and took advantage of it, offering comfort and intimacy while pulling him into Hell. He had been so confused, so overwhelmed, that her body became his light. 

Maria tried to make him stay. Even when he was too miserable to do any more than train the newborns, she insisted that their life was the only way. She didn’t care if he suffered. As long as he stayed, and kept up her numbers, she would do anything to keep him around. To think that she was ignorant of what war might do to him with her decades of experience would be foolish. But why cripple his mind?  
Jasper almost doesn’t notice Alice shifting on the bed before making her way to his side, head on his chest.   
“You look sad.” She frowns, a sour emotion staining their bedroom. 

“My apologies, Maam.” He grins at her scrunched up face. “Is there a reason you made your way all the way up here?”

“I missed you down there,” Alice giggles, sitting up. She drapes her legs over his chest instead, practically pinning him down. Jasper can only let her have her way. There’s always some ulterior motive and he can only hope that Alice fills him in. “Edward’s coming in, too, and he hates walking in on this!” Of course. 

“I can hear you!” Edward’s voice rang out from the hallway. Jasper did his best to think about Texas geography. Very, very loudly. It served to confuse his brother, to make whatever he was walking in on a true surprise. “Are you decent?”

“Come in!” Alice’s voice is as sweet as honey. Jasper runs his fingers up her side lightly, making her giggle again. Edward cracks the door and peeks in, sighing when he doesn’t see anything improper. Well, not exactly. Surely Alice shouldn’t be sitting on his chest, but it’s not the worst thing he’s walked in on. 

“Carlisle wants to know if you’ve finished the book?” He stands by the door awkwardly, hands settling in his pockets. “And if you have any questions.”

“It’s full of words I don’t understand about a war that I happened to miss.” Jasper tosses the book to him and he catches it before it hits his face. “Thank you, really. This man believes it’s curable, and I’m glad for that.”

Edward grimaces slightly and takes a step forward. Alice taps Jasper’s knees and he pulls them up, making space for Edward to sit on the edge of their bed. The shift occurs seamlessly, and there are now three people on a (reinforced) queen size mattress. 

“It’s not curable, exactly.” Edward begins carefully. He’s choosing his words carefully. Cautiously. “The author is optimistic, I think. Perhaps because of the nature of his role. He wasn’t able to follow up with his patients and-” 

“If you don’t get to the point, Alice will.” Jasper groans. “Medicine isn’t my strong suit. I don’t know why any of that matters, Edward.” 

“It’s a manageable condition, but I haven’t seen anyone come out fully cured. Immortal minds are even more difficult to alter.” 

The next hour is spent in silence, though they’re all conversing with each other in their own ways. Jasper muses on the way they all have their problems, equally unique. Edwards nods to him occasionally, and to Alice, who is now flipping through the book and occasionally looking to Edward for definitions. He only whispers the meanings occasionally. Edward occupies himself with a song, tapping his fingers rhythmically to the beat of some new composition.


	6. Treatment

Carlisle keeps a steady hand on Jasper’s back as they walk through the museum. Alice skips next to them, hand in his and pulling him along through the hallway. Her high heels clack against the linoleum floor, drawing him away from Monterey with every step. The rest of the family trails behind them, pretending to be interested in the Mexican cultural history display. The tapestries are oddly detailed. 

“You’re in Colorado,” Carlisle speaks just loud of enough for him to hear, so as not to disturb the other patrons. It’s suggestion, Jasper thinks back to the book he read months ago. The cure to his condition. Hypnosis hadn’t induced any sort of suggestible state, so this was the next best option. “Alice is beside you. Can you hear her?”

“Yes.” Jasper nods dumbly, trying to keep his eyes off of the tell-tale orange and red tones he was once surrounded with. Even the music playing puts him on edge. He can’t do this. He’s going to do something terrible. This isn’t getting any easier and- 

“You’re in Colorado,” Carlisle repeats, a little louder this time. He pushes Jasper forward slightly. Carlisle has unending faith and patience for this process, and in his children’s ability to function in general. Jasper feels his confidence in the air and lets it wash over him. “There are no threats in this museum. That’s all it is. A museum. You’re doing well.”

When they finally make their way outside, Emmett whoops. 

“You did it!” He claps Jasper on the back, hard, and pumps his fists in the air. Rosalie rolls her eyes, but Jasper can feel a sense of pride coming from all of them. There have been so many setbacks. So many failures. Previous attempts to expose him to any of what Edward calls his “triggers” have previously ended in broken furniture and physical restraints. 

The museum was Esme’s idea, surprisingly. Jasper had assumed that his adoptive mother was taking a backseat to this particular project, but she surprised all of them with her reasoning. A museum would likely be a private setting, a controlled environment. It would be easy enough to remove themselves from the situation if anything went awry. Impersonal and detached, while still retaining the visual aspect of Monterey.

“Thanks,” Jasper nods, taking a seat on the bench outside. He feels mentally drained, content to let Alice’s uncomplicated emotions sink into his skin. Edward takes the hint. 

“I’ll be going back inside. The second floor has a Vernet exhibit. Esme?” Edward nods towards her and they head off with Carlisle. Emmett and Rosalie trail them, clearly not entirely pleased with the idea of another exhibit. They seem to find joy in any situation, though, entertaining each other with inside jokes and secret memories. 

“Look at this one, Jaz,” Alice interrupts his musing. She’s holding a bright yes flower in her hand and twirling it around in front of her. “Isn’t it amazing?”

“I don’t think these are supposed to be picked,” Jasper grins at her, taking the flower and watching her skip back to the adjacent garden. His little pickpocket. “It’s a Mexican Marigold. Some people think they’re weeds.” 

“What about this one?” Alice asks, holding up a thin orange strand. The sickly sweet smell assaults his nose from ten feet away. “It just fell apart! Weird.”

“A Honeysuckle. Sword Lily. That’s a Poppy.” Jasper easily identifies every flower that Alice holds up, amused at her enthusiasm. “That’s a-”

“Dahlia,” Alice finishes for him, spinning around with the flower in her hands. Jasper nods in confirmation. “It’s your favorite.”

“It is?” 

“They’re our wedding flowers.” Alice tucks the flower behind her ear and finally sits down next to him. The two-toned Dahlia is striking against her pale skin and dark hair. They both spend the rest of the day on the bench, watching the passersby as they enter and exit the museum. No one stops to look at them, no one even notices the teenagers sitting quietly on the bench, once picking he petals off of flowers and the other watching the clouds. Rosalie and Emmett leave first, then Carlisle and Esme take Edward back in the SUV. Alice and Jasper stay until the museum closes, never quite moving from they're spot. Staying still comes with the gift of immortality, but finally, finally, Alice takes his hand and leads him home.


End file.
